1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to a shield for agricultural equipment, such as a rotary cutter. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a shield configured to slidingly actuate so as to cover components of a rotary cutter when in a closed position and to provide access to such components when in an open position.
2. Description of the Related Art
Rotary cutters are pieces of agricultural equipment that can be used to cut brush, grass, saplings, or other vegetation. In general, rotary cutters are configured to be pulled behind a tractor. As such, the tractor can propel the rotary cutter as well as provide power to the rotary cutter's cutting blades, which are generally secured underneath the rotary cutter's deck.
In more detail, power can be provided from the tractor to the rotary cutter in the form of a main driveline that extends from a power take-off of the tractor to the rotary cutter. The rotary power from the main driveline can be provided to various rotary-power distribution components (e.g., drivelines, splitterboxes, gearboxes, clutches, U-joints, etc.) of the rotary cutter for purposes of distributing the power to cutting blades located on the bottom of the rotary cutter. For safety purposes, portions of the rotary-power distribution components are often required to be covered during operation of the rotary cutter. In the past, such covering was generally performed by a shield element, such as a metal housing. The shield element would generally need to be at least partially removable so as to provide access to the underlying rotary-power distribution components of the rotary cutter, such as may be necessary for maintenance and repair.
To accomplish the removal of such previously-used shield elements, previously-used rotary cutters included shields that were hingedly connected to the rotary cutter. As such, the previously-used shield elements were configured to rotate (i.e., swing) open to provide access to the underlying rotary-power distribution components of the rotary cutter. Such previously-used shield elements were, however, problematic in that they did not provide access to the rotary-power distribution components of the rotary cutter from all sides of the rotary cutter. Instead, the shield element would block access to the components from the side on which the shield element was swung and/or propped open. Furthermore, previously-used shield elements were known to inadvertently close, such as under the force of a strong wind gust. Inadvertent closing of a shield element could interfere with a user's maintenance or repair of the rotary cutter. Such inadvertent closing could also pose a risk of injury to the user of the rotary cutter. Furthermore, such hingedly-connected shield elements were prone to vibration and rattling, which caused excessive noise and increased the shield elements' mechanical failure rates.
Accordingly there exists a need for a rotary cutter shield that covers components of the rotary cutter when in a closed position, and that provides access from all sides of the rotary cutter to the components when in an open position. Furthermore, there exists a need for a shield that will not inadvertently close from an open position and that is secured in the closed position in a manner that does not rattle, vibrate or make excessive noise.